The Perfect Gift
by christylee
Summary: COMPLETED! Lizzie has a Christmas gift for everyone on her list. . . except Gordo! Until she comes up with the Perfect Gift. And Gordo has the Perfect Gift for Lizzie as well. What will happen when they exchange their Perfect Gifts? Happy Holidays to a
1. Lizzie

_I've been very busy with my NaNo, but in the middle of it all, I got the idea to write a little something to usher in the holiday season, and so I've taken a short break from NaNo to dream up this one-shot LG.  
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_I put in my customary nod to my favorite band, Better Than Ezra, and also include something about a new band I am enjoying, The Postal Service. Check them out!_

_ So now as the holiday season is now upon us, hope this little story finds you all in the Yuletime spirit!  
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Hillridge Mall was bustling with last minute holiday shoppers, among them Jo McGuire and her fifteen year old daughter Lizzie.

"Mom," Lizzie said, "is it okay if I go off on my own a little? I still have to find a present for Gordo."

"Lizzie! You haven't gotten anything for Gordo yet?" her mom exclaimed.

"I know!" Lizzie whined. "But he's so impossible!"

"Gordo's never been impossible before," Mrs. McGuire reasoned. "Last year didn't you get him that book about Alfred Hitchcock? And the year before wasn't it a lava lamp? And if memory serves me correctly---"

"Mom! We're wasting time! Only two more shopping days left till Christmas. And I'm really stumped. If I don't find something tonight, I don't know what I'm going to do!"

Jo McGuire leveled a lengthy glance at her teenage daughter. Something was going on here, something beyond the mere anxiety of not coming up with the perfect gift.

"All right," she said at last. "A half hour. And you have your cell phone on you, right? In case you run into any kind of trouble."

"Mom! Honestly! What kind of trouble do you think I'm going to run into?"

"A half hour," Jo McGuire repeated. "I'll call you five minutes before we're ready to leave, and we'll meet by the fountain."

"Okay, Mom!" Lizzie beamed. "Thanks!"

"Happy shopping, sweetheart!"

Lizzie grinned quickly, then turned to set off on her own. _Happy shopping?_ She had been at this for weeks, and each trip seemed to leave her more baffled than the one before. And her mother's words only increased her confusion.

It was true that Gordo had never before been impossible to buy for. He and Lizzie had been exchanging "holiday gifts" since they were in kindergarten. Back in those days, of course, their parents would do the actual buying, but Lizzie always knew just what to tell them to get. Hot Wheels. Ninja Turtles. Transformers. Pokemon cards. And more recently, all kinds of books and music and movies. So why was this year any different?

Lizzie walked along the crowded throughway, gazing up at the myriad of lights hanging from the ceiling like icicles. The insistent drone of Christmas carols interfered with her vexing thoughts.

But everything was different now, wasn't it? And it had been, ever since last summer's trip to Rome. Lizzie's fifteen minutes of fame was quickly over, but the aftereffects of that rooftop kiss lingered into December. Gordo had never returned the kiss, had never even mentioned it again, but they both knew everything had changed between them after that kiss.

It had changed, but not necessarily for the better. For some time before the trip to Italy, Lizzie suspected that Gordo might have a crush on her, but after she kissed him and got no response other than his simple "Thanks," she began to wonder if perhaps she had been misreading him all along.

Lizzie glanced up at a huge sign in sparkly letters proclaiming "Happy New Year!" and she continued reviewing the year she had just been through.

She had been grounded for almost the entire summer after Rome, which gave her a long time to think. And during that time she began to think that perhaps she might have a crush on Gordo too. It was too strange, at first, to even consider having a crush on her very best friend, but as the weeks passed, she began to feel more comfortable with the possibility.

But then, before she was even let back out into society, Gordo went away on a family vacation, and she only got to see him one time for about two minutes before the first day of high school.

Starting high school was so hectic! In middle school Lizzie, Miranda and Gordo saw each other every day. In high school, however, the setting was not as intimate, and Lizzie found her path barely crossed at all with her best friends. She felt awkward, waiting to see if Gordo would make the first move to reestablish their friendship…and maybe more than a friendship.

He did not seek her out right away, and during those first weeks of high school, Lizzie felt her spirit deflating, as she wondered again if she might not have been mistaken about his feelings for her.

Eventually they reconnected, but both felt too uneasy to talk about what was silently hovering between them: that kiss. The longer they avoided talking about it, the less likely it seemed that they would, and finally they got to the point where they both knew there was something they were not talking about, but at any given moment they may or may not have been able to identify what it was that kept them at arm's length.

Lizzie sighed, thinking all this through. She passed by a Claire's Boutique and looked at herself in a mirror. She wore a bright red sweater, dangling candy cane earrings, and a smooth coat of peppermint flavored lip gloss. But the girl that stared back at her from the mirror did not appear to be in the holiday spirit. She appeared confiused and troubled.

Lizzie moved on. _What to get Gordo? What to get Gordo?_ While seeking the perfect gift, she had already ruled out so many possibilities. A book was too impersonal, unless it was something he really, really wanted, and if he really, really wanted it, then he had probably already bought it for himself.

And nobody had more DVD's than Gordo! It was next to impossible to find something that was not already in his collection. This year, his parents were buying him the only eight DVD's his collection lacked, one for each night of Hanukkah. Lizzie would be hard pressed to compete with that.

Music? True, Gordo was becoming a voracious music hound, but he could get almost any songs he wanted off the internet.

Lizzie passed by Spencer's and looked in the window. Lava Lamp! Gordo loved lava lamps. Oh yeah, been there, done that. She didn't want to repeat herself.

This year her gift had to be extra special…

Lizzie wandered through the brightly lit Christmas trees, passing a line of children waiting to sit on Santa's lap, and soon found herself in the Food Court. She hadn't even begun to shop, and already she felt the need for her mid-shopping trip pick-me-up of chocolate chip cookies. She reached into her purse and found she had enough change to buy herself three small cookies at Mrs. Fields. The line was not long, and in a moment she was sitting down on a bench, eating and thinking.

She loved chocolate chip cookies. Everybody knew that. Whenever she, Gordo and Miranda came up to the Mall they made a point of splitting a bit chocolate chip cookie. On occasion, when Gordo would go to the Mall with his parents, he would buy a cookie for Lizzie and bring it over to her house on the way home. Oh, he was so sweet, wasn't he? What a good friend!

But what came to Lizzie's mind mostly, as she enjoyed her cookies now, was the time Gordo had found her practically crying in the school library, after she had been dumped by her first boyfriend, Ronnie Jacobs. "I brought you a big chocolate chip cookie," he had said, so tenderly.

When Lizzie lamented that Ronnie liked another girl who was "probably prettier and smarter and more fun to be with," Gordo had said, "No, that's not possible. Because there's nobody who's prettier or more fun to be with than you."

Now, as Lizzie watched a toddler screaming in terror after being forced to sit on the lap of the huge red-clad and hairy stranger, she licked the chocolate off her fingers, suddenly wondering "_Gah!_ Was Gordo flirting with me?"

As she mulled the thought around in her mind, she stared straight ahead and realized she was looking into the storefront window of Pretty In Pink, where stick figured mannequins displayed gowns of silk and sequins in all the holiday colors. One accessorized with a feather boa, another with a long string of pearls. The outfits reminded Lizzie of the dress-up murder mystery party they had had at her house shortly before the trip to Rome. Kate had told her that Gordo had a crush on her, and at the end of the evening, while standing on the front porch, Lizzie and Gordo began a conversation which was cut short by the untimely appearance of her father.

But what had Gordo said? And what had he been about to say? It sounded like he had been about to ask her out on a date. Lizzie knew she was often clueless, but she not always _completely_ clueless. Surely something had been about to happen between them. That much she knew!

Sighing again, she got off the bench and began to walk. Why did Gordo not pick up where he had left off? Was he only shy? Or perhaps he had changed his mind. Lizzie wished she knew. She wished she had the courage to ask him.

The Gap. Clothes! Clothes were a good gift, weren't they? Yeah, if Gordo was a girl. Lizzie didn't know anybody who cared less about clothes than Gordo. Next store, please!

Hot Topic. Lizzie laughed lightly to herself. No, not Gordo.

Next she saw the Hillridge Travel Agency, where a big poster in the window encouraged passers-by to experience the "Romance of Roma." At the moment, Lizzie could barely remember her short romantic interlude with singing star Paolo Valasari, but what she did remember about Rome was the way she cried when she heard that Gordo had stuck his neck out and lied in order to save her from getting sent back home before her big moment on stage at the award show.

Now if that wasn't love, what was?

Maybe he did love her after all. Maybe he only kept quiet because he was shy, afraid of being rejected. Lizzie wished she knew. She wished she had the courage to ask him.

Lizzie pushed through a gaggle of pre-teens and found herself in F.Y.E. Somehow she always found herself in this store. It was so much fun! So many movies, so much music! Yes, she had already decided movies and music were not going to work as a _perfect_ gift for Gordo this year, but since she was already here, there was no harm in looking around. Maybe something would spark a new idea.

What Lizzie saw in that store did indeed spark some ideas, but they were not the ideas she was expecting.

First, for some odd reason, there was a display of Frank Sinatra CD's in the center aisle. Lizzie had to smile as she remembered Gordo's brief but intense fascination with The Rat Pack of the 1950's. His enthusiasm had unwittingly spread throughout the entire school, and a Rat Pack dance was held. Gordo had at first refused to attend, but he finally appeared, dressed to the hilt and boogying with the best of them.

Towards the end of the evening, the music slowed, and Lizzie remembered that Gordo came to her and asked if she wanted to dance. They went out on the floor, he put his arm around her waist, and they moved around, somewhat awkwardly, but dancing nonetheless. He seemed shy, looking everywhere but in her eyes, smiling nervously.

Lizzie had always assumed that at that moment Gordo felt nervous because he lacked confidence in his dancing abilities. Now, for the first time, it occurred to her that maybe he was nervous because he lacked confidence with _her._ He had been bold enough to start something, asking her to dance, but perhaps he had lost his nerve, overwhelmed by her closeness.

_Could it be?_ Lizzie wondered.

Almost without thinking, Lizzie found herself looking at the rock and roll CD's. She had a habit of checking the Better Than Ezra tab, ever since Gordo had told her how much he liked their music, but one CD, Artifakt, was out of print, and not available anywhere, not even online. Lizzie knew if she could find this, it would be a wonderful gift. But the_ perfect_ gift? Hmmm….

It didn't matter, though, because Lizzie knew there was no chance she was going to find this CD so easily. Yet she always looked for it, hoping against hope, knowing how much it would please Gordo. Sure enough, it was not there, but as she rounded the corner and came down the next aisle, she saw the tab for that new group Gordo was so excited about, The Postal Service. He had discovered them over the summer, after Rome, while Lizzie was grounded, and had not been able to properly share his excitement with her until just before he left on his family vacation.

Apparently, as his family was leaving to begin their vacation, he persuaded them to make a quick stop at Lizzie's house, where he pleaded with her mother to ease up on the grounding and let Lizzie see him for just a few minutes---five minutes, no, three! No, only two! He only needed two minutes to give her this CD. Later on Lizzie's mom told her, "You're lucky Gordo is so cute, and so persuasive. I wouldn't have caved for just anyone, but he did this thing with his eyes, and I felt to sorry for him, I couldn't resist him."

Lizzie had been surprised then to see Gordo at her bedroom door, sheepishly saying "Hi…" After so many weeks of being grounded and not seeing anyone, Lizzie flew into his arms, nearly knocking him over. She hugged him so tight and for so long that eventually all either of them could do was laugh, and then somehow Lizzie actually had tears in her eyes.

"Gordo, I've missed you so much," she said, and she really meant it.

"Me too, Lizzie, and look, I really can't stay, my parents are downstairs, we're going on this 'family vacation,'" and here he rolled his eyes, "but before I left, I wanted you to have this. It's this new group, The Postal Service, and they're really good. Most of their music is kind of techno-y, yet in a really mellow way, so you might want to listen to them before you go to sleep. But I want you to especially listen to the second track, a song called Such Great Heights. I don't know why, but I really love that song, and I want to know if you love it too. So listen to it, okay? And tell me about it when I get back. I'll see you in a week---"

"In a week!" Lizzie exclaimed. "Another week! But my grounding will be over on Saturday---"

"I know, but I'll be away, and I won't see you until I come back in a week, and then school will be starting right away, so we might not get a chance to talk until then."

"Call me from wherever you're going!" Lizzie suggested. "Gordo, where are you going? Why are you leaving? Gordo---!"

"I have to go, Lizzie. I'm sorry. My parents are waiting in the car. But listen to the music, listen to that song. And tell me what you think. See you in a week."

After this heart-wrenching moment, as soon as Gordo was gone, Lizzie immediately put in the CD and listened to it, and she listened to it for the rest of the week, especially to the song Gordo had been so insistent she pay attention to. The lyrics were actually quite touching, and every time she heard them, she wondered if Gordo was trying to tell her something:

_I am thinking it's a sign  
that the freckles in our eyes are mirror images  
and when we kiss they're perfectly aligned_

_And I have to speculate  
that God himself did make us into corresponding shapes  
like puzzle pieces from the clay_

_And true, it may seem like a stretch  
but its thoughts like this that catch my troubled head when you're away  
when I am missing you to death_

Lizzie found herself missing Gordo to death whenever she listened to this song, and all that week she waited and waited for him to call her, but he never did. She began to wonder if maybe she had read too much into his words. Had she read too much into the lyrics of this song? Maybe it was just the music he wanted her to hear, not the lyrics. She didn't know. All she knew whas that wherever he was, it must be so much fun he couldn't even be bothered to think about her and call her as she had asked. So every night she listened to the music he had given her, and felt a heaviness in her heart as she drifted off to sleep.

Once school started and she finally got to see him again, she found out that he and his parents, aunts and uncles and cousins had rented a cabin in the mountains, and there were absolutely no towers for cell phone communications, that was why he had not called. But now they were so busy with their adjustments to high school, that discussing The Postal Service song was the last thing on either of their minds.

By the time Gordo finally got around to asking Lizzie if she had listened to the CD and what did she think of that song, she had fully convinced herself that she was a fool for thinking he might possibly ever return the affection she thought she had for him, which she herself was not even too sure of anymore. So she only said, "Yeah, it's good, I really like it." And then that music, like that kiss, was something they never spoke of again.

That difficult time had not continued, of course, and eventually they began to feel more comfortable with each other again. But even to this day, what they regained after they lost it during the summer never seemed the same. Somehow, they never seemed to be where they _should_ be. As Lizzie wandered through the aisles of music and movies, she knew that what she needed to get Gordo was a gift that would tell him exactly where she thought they should be.

But where exactly was that? She herself was not even sure.

But somehow she felt like she was getting close.

Now she wandered into the movie section. She happened to see "A Walk to Remember," and had to smile. Not because it was a funny movie, it wasn't at all. It was an extremely sad movie, the ultimate tear-jerker. When it first came out in theatres, Lizzie and Miranda so much wanted to see it that they went without Gordo, who flatly refused, saying it was too much of a chick-flick.

Yet, two months ago, Gordo had not only given Lizzie the DVD for her birthday, but he also sat down on her living room couch with her and watched it, by the end complaining that Lizzie's mother must be a lousy housekeeper, because he kept getting so much dust in his eyes. At that point Lizzie laughed through her own tears and actually gave Gordo a hug.

He hugged her back, and they sat like that for a few moments, enjoying the closeness. _Oh God!_ Lizzie thought, remembering it_. That's right!_ She and Gordo hugging each other on the couch, his face pressing against her hair, his hands caressing her back, and it had felt…it had felt…

And then he pulled back a little and smiled at her, and the look on his face…

_Oh God,_ she thought. _I think he does. I think he really does like me. And I think I like him too._

Somehow, suddenly, everything seemed to be falling into place. All these memories swirled together in her mind, finally settling down into a clear pool, like the ice on top of a pond. Where should they be? Maybe Lizzie did know after all. She felt all warm and fuzzy inside, but still a little frantic. Yet it had nothing to do with the fact that she had no idea what would make the perfect gift for Gordo. It had everything to do with the fact that she had finally figured out exactly what would. And she had a plan.

She left F.Y.E and hurried across the fairway to the Hallmark store. She needed a card, a card that would say precisely the right thing. She looked at her watch and realized her mother would be calling at any moment. _Damn!_

Lizzie always found herself magnetically drawn to cards with pictures of cute animals, and as she quickly scanned the display, she knew what she wanted to say, so she forced herself to ignore all the cards with only a single animal on the front. There were plenty depicting couples, and at last she picked up one card that showed a kitty cat and puppy dog, cuddled up together, sleeping inside a furry red Santa hat. Inside it read, "May all your Christmas dreams come true."

Her heart was beating fast. Did she dare to give a card like this to Gordo? Would it say too much? Not enough? Did it matter that he was Jewish and did not celebrate Christmas? No, that would not matter. All that mattered was that he understand it was time for their dreams to come true.

As Lizzie mulled over this card, wanting to buy it for Gordo, yet somehow still afraid of all the events it could set off in her life, her cell phone suddenly rang and she jumped, diving to answer it.

"Hey, Mom!"

"Ready, Lizzie?"

"Five minutes, yeah. I'll be there. By the fountain."

Lizzie put her cell phone back in her purse and took a deep breath. Okay, she was going to do it. She got in line at the cash register.

Five minutes later she met her mom at the fountain. Mom had a bag from J.C. Penney's, but before Lizzie could ask, Mrs. McGuire was saying, "So, Lizzie, did you find something for Gordo?"

"Just a card."

Jo McGuire smiled. "Let me see!"

Lizzie gave her mom a strange look. She seemed unusually interested, not only before she saw the card, but especially afterwards. "Oh, Lizzie, that is so cute!" she exclaimed. "Gordo will love it!"

They had to walk about a quarter mile to find the car in the overcrowded parking lot, but at last they were on their way home. Now Jo McGuire babbled happily about the slippers she had found for Gammy McGuire, but how it was impossible to get anything for Aunt Helen who was so picky, so she just got her a gift certificate to Penney's. Then Jo looked at her daughter and said, "I guess you've decided to give Gordo a gift certificate too? And put it in the card?"

Lizzie tried a smile. "Well, sort of. But not exactly. The thing is…well, Mom, actually I wanted to ask you a favor."

"Sure, sweetie. But what does this have to do with Gordo?"

"The thing is…" Lizzie began nervously, having never verbalized anything like this before, "I think what I'd like to do is take Gordo to his favorite restaurant, you know, the Outback Steakhouse, where they have that great Bloomin'Onion thingy---"

"Oh sure, honey! That's a great place! Say! Why don't we make it a 'more the merrier' kind of thing? I'm sure Gordo and Miranda won't mind if---"

"No, Mom," Lizzie said, drawing in a deep breath. "No Miranda, no anyone else. Just me and Gordo. Like…like…"

Jo McGuire looked across the front seat and grinned knowingly at her daughter. "Like a date?" she suggested.

Lizzie nodded. It was easier to hear someone else say it, than to say it herself. "And anyway, " Lizzie went on, "I was just wondering if you wouldn't mind picking us up. I mean, we can get up there by bus, that's no problem, but later, on the way back, when it's dark, and I know how you and dad are about---"

"Oh, Lizzie. Oh, Lizzie. Going out on a _date. _With Gordo."

"Yeah, Mom, it's….well, it's…."

"Well, it's inevitable," Jo sighed. "It had to happen sooner or later."

"What do you mean?" Lizzie asked.

"Lizzie!" her mother exclaimed in exasperation. "Don't tell me you didn't know! Gordo has had the biggest crush on you for so long. That's why I couldn't resist him, that day he stopped by at the end of the summer, when you were still grounded, and he pleaded with me to see you for even only two minutes. He was so desperate to see you. And I knew you were missing him so much also. I just couldn't be that cruel."

"Mom…" Lizzie said, sinking down into the seat in embarrassment.

"Oh, honey, it's okay. I'm so happy for you. Really I am. Your dad and I love Gordo, you know that. You couldn't possibly go out with a nicer boy. Oh, I'm so excited for you! And by the way, yes, I can pick you up from the restaurant. And I can drive you there if you want---"

"That won't be necessary," Lizzie said, still embarrassed.

"And we can go _shopping!" _Jo suddenly exclaimed, reaching over and squeezing Lizzie's arm. "After Christmas, you and I are coming up here to the mall to buy you a new outfit for your _first date with Gordo! _ My treat! Oh, come on! Let's do it!"

Lizzie smiled, slowly becoming more comfortable with her mother's enthusiasm. "Now _that_," she decided, "that may be completely necessary!"

When they got home that night, Lizzie's mother happily informed both Sam and Matt that Lizzie and Gordo were now a "hot item." Lizzie turned bright pink, reminding that Gordo had not yet said yes. Jo McGuire scolded her daughter, saying, "Oh, Lizzie! Do you really think there's any chance he's going to say _no_?"

Well, when her mother put it _that_ way, it did seem pretty certain, didn't it? It was funny, but now that Lizzie had figured everything out this far, it was hard to remember why she had ever been confused in the first place.

Upon hearing the news, Matt stuck his fingers down his throat, making a gagging sound, but Lizzie's dad gave her a crooked, knowing smile, reminiscent of the face her mother had made upon hearing the news. It suddenly struck Lizzie that perhaps her months of Gordo confusion had been totally in vain, with the answers to her questions as close as a "Please pass the peas" over the family dinner table.

She really ought to start talking to her parents more.

After saying good night to everyone, Lizzie went up to her room and searched through her closet for her arts and crafts supplies. She pulled out some pretty pink paper and markers and began to fashion a "coupon" to go into the cute card she had gotten for Gordo. "This Coupon Good For One….Dinner…Date….At Outback Steakhouse."

Lizzie listened to The Postal Service CD Gordo had given her last summer and smiled as she colored her coupon, dotting every "I" with a plump red heart, and double outlining the word "Date." Gordo was pretty smart. She hoped he would get the hints. But just in case, she got a fine line black Pilot pen from her desk drawer and added the words, in little letters at the bottom, "This offer ONLY good for David Gordon, non-transferrable. No expiration date. Signed, Lizzie McGuire."

When the family had decorated the tree a few weeks ago, Lizzie had confiscated a string of Christmas lights to hang around her bedroom mirror. Before she went to sleep, she turned on those lights, and took Gordo's card, signed and sealed with dinner date coupon inside, slipping the edge of the envelope into the tiny space between the mirror and the frame, so that as she lay in bed she could clearly see it, her perfect gift, illuminated by the softly-cast colorful shadows of the Christmas lights.

And that night, as she snuggled contentedly into her bed, finally feeling so drowsy and content, she looked at her perfect gift, hoping it would ignite the magic that had almost but not quite taken flight last summer. She turned down her CD player to a comfortable "sleeping music" level and lay back, listening to the words of the song Gordo had so wanted her to hear.

_I am thinking it's a sign  
that the freckles in our eyes are mirror images  
and when we kiss they're perfectly aligned…_

It seemed like it had taken such a long time, but Lizzie now had every hope that she and Gordo might at last be perfectly aligned. As the words of his special song filled her ears, her head and her heart, she fell asleep with the certain knowledge that a small but significant Christmas miracle was taking place.


	2. Gordo

_Of course this begged for a sequel, Gordo's side of the story, and the exchanging of gifts. The story is running long, so there will actually be a third chapter to this story, which started out as a "one shot" lol! I promise to post it before Christmas. _

_The mention of what Gordo really intended to write in Lizzie's yearbook can be found on the tv . com website notes for this episode. I don't know how true it is that the original shooting script called for a more heartfelt confession from Gordo, but I think it's definitely something you could see Gordo wanting to write to Lizzie at this point._

_A note to Quiddichseeker: I would love to reply, but you show no email address and I guess I already replied once to your review, so I can't do it again. Write to me again, and include an address. I'm always ready to discuss music!_

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David Gordon stood in the middle of his kitchen, absently fingering the square box nestled deep in the pocket of his baggy pants. His mother walked into the room, noted his far off expression, and asked with a sly, knowing smile, "Davey, what are you doing?"

Gordo snapped to attention and said, "I'm just thinking about Lizzie's gift, Mom."

"You know she's going to love it, sweetheart. There's no need to be anxious."

"Oh, I'm not anxious. I'm just wondering… if I put that little gold bow on it now, it will probably get ruined, huh?"

"Why would it get ruined?" Mrs. Gordon wondered.

Sheepishly, Gordo pulled the brightly wrapped box out of his pocket.

"Davey! What are you doing with that now? Aren't you on your way to work? I thought you weren't seeing Lizzie till later today."

"I am," Gordo answered. "And I am. But I just wanted to…I don't know…"

After getting in from the Mall last night and wrapping the box in the blue sparkly snowman paper, which Lizzie had cooed over a few weeks ago as being "the most beautiful wrapping paper ever!" Gordo slept with the flat box propped up on his nightstand, so that when he woke up with his alarm clock this morning, it was the first thing he saw, and it brought a smile to his face. He knew it was completely irrational, but he felt that carrying the gift with him would help him get through the hours until he saw Lizzie again and could present her with this token of his affection.

Wisely, Mrs. Gordon only said, "Yes, dear, that cute little bow will be destroyed beyond recognition if you keep it in your pocket for six hours this morning while you bus tables. Leave it home and put it on later. Would you like a ride into the bagel shop? I don't have any patients today, I could take you."

"Thanks, Mom, but it's really nice out, and I have time. I don't mind walking."

-

The truth was that Gordo liked walking to his job at the bagel shop, because five minutes into his walk, he passed the McGuire house, and he liked to look up at Lizzie's window and think about what she must look like sleeping. He always slowed down a bit as he did this. There was a lot to be missed when traveling by car.

Walking gave him time to think, whereas driving with his Mom, she always wanted to _talk_. She had been doing it last night, when she took him to the Mall to buy Lizzie's present. Of course she had a good deal of knowledge about gold and rubies and all that, so he had actually appreciated her help. What he had not appreciated was the way his Mom kept saying to the clerk, "This is Gordon's Jewelers, and out last name is Gordon! Shouldn't we get a discount?" It was mildly amusing at first, but by the third time, Gordo was starting to feel embarrassed.

Afterwards, his mother insisted they visit the Hallmark store to buy the cute little bow. "The finishing touch on the perfect gift," she insisted. Before they reached the store, though, they were surprised to see Lizzie rushing across the walkway from F.Y.E. and diving into Hallmark as if her life depended on it.

At that point Gordo was grateful that his mother did not act the reasonable adult and say, "Oh, let's go in, anyway! If you run into Lizzie she doesn't have to know that you're buying the bow for _her _present!" Somehow Mom seemed to understand that running into Lizzie at that moment would be just too much for him to handle. Gordo knew without a doubt that should he see Lizzie while carrying this tiny bag from Gordon's Jewelers, his face would somehow give away the secret. If his expression did not reveal that they item in the bag was for her, it would at least reveal all the heartfelt consideration that went into the purchase.

So Mom bought them an Orange Julius to share, and they sat on a bench where they could see the moment Lizzie came out of the card shop, but she could not see them watching for her. When she did come out, she flew by so quickly, Gordo wondered what all the excitement could possibly be about.

Now he walked past her house in the earliest morning light and gazed up at her window, thinking about how she must look sleeping, with all her blonde hair strewn messily across her pink pillowcase.

He would see her later today. He and Miranda were meeting Lizzie at her house at one o'clock, and then they were going to the movies. They still hadn't decided if they were going to see The Two Towers or Maid in Manhattan. Gordo really did not want to see Maid in Manhattan, and Miranda wanted The Two Towers, but Lizzie was so excited about the latest chick flick Gordo wasn't sure he could possibly side against her. As the tiebreaker, Gordo felt himself in a difficult position.

Last year at this time, he would have easily gone with his first choice, but ever since Lizzie had kissed him on that rooftop in Italy last summer, he wasn't always exactly sure what he should be feeling or doing at any given moment.

Rome had really knocked him for a loop. Of course he'd had a crush on Lizzie for months before, but after she kissed him, he turned to jelly. He had never quite forgiven himself for not kissing her back, and for not saying anything more intelligent than "Thanks…" Here he was, this incredibly gifted honor student who had written and directed his own short films, was second in line for Valedictorian of their graduating class, and the best he could come up with was "Thanks…"?

As Gordo turned the corner on to the main street, he sighed, remembering that kiss and his lackluster response to it. This time of the morning, especially now that school was out for the winter break, there were few cars on the road and hardly anybody walking or biking, so the quiet landscape gave Gordo plenty of opportunity to consider his dismal career as Lizzie McGuire's chief "crusher."

He had tried several times to let her know his true feelings. At the time of the Rat Pack dance, Gordo was only beginning to recognize his deepening feelings towards Lizzie. She had looked so pretty that night in her sparkly blue dress and dangling earrings with her hair all swept up…and those long blue gloves…ooh la la! That night Gordo actually got up the courage to ask her to dance a slow dance with him. But then he spent the whole dance biting his lip and looking over her shoulder. He was so nervous he could not look her in the eye or say anything. He told himself he would do better next time.

However, next time was no better.

When Lizzie's first boyfriend, that Ronnie Jacobs, broke up with her for no really good reason, leaving Lizzie in tears, " Gordo sat with her in the library, his heart breaking for her, and he told her that there was nobody prettier or more fun to be with. She was too distraught to appreciate how bold he had forced himself to be to get out at least that much. He wanted to say more, but words failed him.

How was she ever going to find out how he felt if he could not even begin to give her the first clue?

-

Reviewing these events, Gordo sighed heartily as he pulled open the door of Bagelmania. His boss Mel greeted him from behind the counter with a hearty "Hey, Dave! Ready to work?"

Gordo gave Mel a "thumbs up." Mel was a good guy. Well, except for some slight manic-depressive tendencies, which were now under control with therapy and mild meds. But Dr. Howard Gordon had felt confident enough to allow his fourteen year old son to take a busboy job in his patient's restaurant. He wouldn't have done that if there was anything really worth worrying about.

All Gordo knew was that Mel treated him well and paid him as agreed and on time. The waitresses also shared their tips with him, so all in all this was not a bad gig. The worst part was having to wake up so early on weekends, and then coming home smelling like garlic and onion bagels.

Gordo went to the back and put on his apron. Joan came by to pour some coffee and smiled at him. "Hi there, sweetie. Did you get that present for your girlfriend last night?"

Gordo blushed. "She's not my girlfriend, Joan."

The older woman winked at him. "She will be, honey, after she sees your gift. Did you go to the jewelers? Did it all work out okay?"

Once again Gordo fingered the box in his pocket. "Yeah," he said. "So far, so good."

_So far, so good_. All he needed now was to not lose his nerve.

Like he had that night of the murder mystery party at Lizzie's house. Why was he thinking of that now? Oh, yeah… Ethan Craft's stepmother stood at the front counter picking out a dozen bagels. The last time Gordo had seen Ethan's stepmother had been the night of the murder mystery party. More memories flooded in.

That night, out on the front porch, Lizzie had told Gordo how impressed she was with him. Those simple words had given him enough confidence to begin to ask her out. Unfortunately, Lizzie's father appeared at the door at exactly the wrong moment. Sam McGuire! You couldn't really blame him, he was a good guy and all, but he did have a way of bungling things up, didn't he?

_Gee,_ Gordo thought, _sort of like me._ Was it true that women looked for men that were exactly like their fathers? Then he ought to be a shoo-in with Lizzie. Two bunglers.

That night, after the interruption, somehow Gordo was not able to get the conversation back on track. He remained silent then until the signing of her yearbook, when he tried so hard to write what he really felt but ended up with a simple, "Dear Lizzie, you rock. Don't ever change. And only I really mean it."

Lizzie had seemed to appreciate that, and she even gave him a small kiss on the cheek, which thrilled Gordo to no end. However, he couldn't help remembering what he had really wanted to write.

That day, he had memorized every word of it, and to this day could still recall most of it: "Dear Lizzie. We've been best friends for as long as I can remember. We've shared everything together and so I feel I should finally share this with you. I really, really like you a lot and I think you're beautiful, both inside and out. I can honestly say I wouldn't be the person I am without you and your friendship. There's nothing to be afraid of if we have each other. I will always be by your side. Your friend always, and hopefully more if you want. Gordo."

These words remained in his head and in his heart, but never made it to paper. Once again, Gordo had chickened out. Later he realized that it was precisely because in the yearbook these words would be immortalized that he was not able to actually write them. Should she reject him after so blatant an invitation to be "hopefully more," the inscription would stand forever as a monument to his pathetic failure with the only girl who had ever really meant anything to him up to that point.

-

Gordo spent a good amount of time in these anxious thoughts as he cleaned tables and heaved heavy buckets of dirty dishes, trying to tune out the insistent drone of holiday tunes on the piped in muzak. By the time his cell phone began to ring in his pocket and he wondered who could be calling him this early, he looked at the clock and saw that it was nearly nine! His shift was half over! That much closer to seeing Lizzie this afternoon. Then he flipped open his phone and suddenly grinned.

"Hi, Lizzie," he said, the grin evident in his voice.

"Gordo!" she exclaimed, sounding a little breathless. "Did I wake you?"

"No, I'm at work." God! He loved the sound of her voice.

"Oh, you are! That's right! I forgot you were getting extra hours over the Break. Listen, I just wanted to tell you, when you come over this afternoon, I know I said one o'clock, but do you think you can get here at twelve thirty instead?"

"Sure," he said, "what's up? Are we going to an earlier movie?"

"We haven't even chosen the movie yet, remember?" she teased. "No. This is because…because…well, I have your gift, and I want to give it to you before we head out."

"Oh, good," Gordo said, once again touching his pocket. "'Cause I have your gift too."

"Great!" Lizzie said, still sounding breathless. "So we'll exchange gifts, okay?"

"Okay," Gordo agreed. "So I'll see you later. Twelve thirty."

"Okay," Lizzie agreed. "Twelve thirty."

Gordo put his phone away and felt himself tingling inside. Lizzie wanted to see him! She wanted to give him a gift. Oh my God! He suddenly realized that in all his commotion to find the perfect gift for Lizzie, he had never even begun to ask himself what she might be getting him.

He continued to clear the tables, his mind now totally absorbed in speculation. Any chance she might have found that rare Better Than Ezra CD? Wow, that would be great. But he knew he shouldn't get his hopes up.

_Boy, is that ever true!_ he scolded himself. With Lizzie he always got his hopes up, only to have them dashed a short time later. It was the story of his life.

After all, look what happened when they started high school earlier this year. After almost an entire summer of separation, he managed to finagle Mrs. McGuire into letting him see Lizzie for a couple of minutes before he took off for that misguided wilderness vacation with his family. He gave Lizzie a copy of The Postal Service CD, making special mention of the song that so reminded him of her and all he hoped to experience with her. _"I am thinking it's a sign that the freckles in our eyes are mirror images and when we kiss they're perfectly aligned…" _

In his heart of hearts, Gordo hoped that if he ever got the chance to kiss Lizzie again, after her failed attempt to engage his affection on the rooftop in Rome, this time he would do it right.

But, in fact, when he got back home, after a torturous week of no phone service, school started up almost immediately, and everything was _not _perfectly aligned. High school was madness. He barely got to see Lizzie or Miranda at all during the day. And then, by the time he and Lizzie finally got the chance to talk, she made no mention of the CD he had given her or the song he had asked her to listen to, and once again he felt too shy to pursue the matter.

Why couldn't anything go right for him? Why did love have to be so difficult? He could perform complicated math equations in his head, he could formulate scientific hypotheses in his sleep, but he could not figure out how to tell Lizzie McGuire that his feelings for her now extended beyond the friendship they had enjoyed their entire lives. And he was also entirely clueless when if came to deciphering what her feelings towards him might be at any given moment.

But all that was going to change at twelve thirty this afternoon. He was going to give her the present. He was going to speak his mind. And then maybe…maybe…if everything was going well, he would move closer, maybe lean in, his face coming closer to hers, and …

-

"Gordo!"

Gordo snapped out of his reverie. Miranda was standing in front of him.

"Miranda!" he exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"My mom had to go into Food King for a few things. I thought I'd come by and say hi. And see if I can't implore you once again….please…._please_…don't side with Lizzie on the movie today."

"But I thought you wanted to see Maid in Manhattan," Gordo said with a confused look.

"I do!" Miranda confirmed. "But not until I see The Two Towers. The Two Towers is a _must see, _it's top priority. Everybody is going to be talking about it when we get back to school. I don't want to be left behind."

"But there's plenty of time left to the Break," Gordo reminded, still confused, as he wiped down a table. "If you don't see it today, you'll see in eventually."

"Yes, but Larry Tudgeman is seeing it today, and…"

Gordo smiled. Now at last he understood.

Miranda gave him a little slap. "Don't look at me like that!" she exclaimed, turning red.

"Okay, look," Gordo said. "I also prefer to see The Two Towers---"

"I know you do, Gordo! So don't get all goofy on me and---"

"Goofy?" he questioned.

"You know what I mean. The way you've been acting around Lizzie lately. Like when you bought her that movie for her birthday, A Walk in the Clouds ? And then you sat down and actually _watched_ it with her, and then you _hugged_ her."

"Lizzie told you about that?" Gordo asked in alarm.

"Of course," Miranda said, giving him a strange look. "Lizzie tells me everything. You know that."

Yes, Gordo did know that. And on several occasions he had been so tempted to confide in Miranda, question her, pick her brain. But somehow he didn't feel that would be kosher. This was between him and Lizzie. He knew he had to work this out on his own.

"Dave, honey!" Angie called from Table 12. "Would you come and wipe this down? I got customers waiting."

Gordo began to walk over to Table 12, and Miranda followed. "So anyway," she said, "which movie are you going to choose?"

"I don't know," Gordo answered. "And I can't think of it now, Miranda. I've got to work. I'll see you later, this afternoon, twelve thirty."

"No, one o'clock," Miranda corrected.

"No, twelve thirty."

"No," Miranda insisted. "I'm sure it's one o'clock."

"Didn't Lizzie call you?"

"Yeah, yesterday. She said one o'clock."

Angie said, "Thanks, sweetie," to Gordo and the customers sat down.

As Gordo began to walk away, Miranda followed. In a moment, Gordo turned to Miranda and clarified, "So she didn't call you thing morning to say twelve thirty instead? You know, to exchange gifts?"

"No," Miranda said. "Why? Did she call you?"

Gordo said nothing, but Miranda grinned. "Oh, she _did_, did she?"

Gordo tried to keep himself from blushing. He looked across at Miranda and demanded, "Why are you smiling at me like that?"

"No reason…"

"Miranda, do you know what Lizzie got me for Christmas?"

"Lizzie didn't get you anything for Christmas, Gordo. You're Jewish. Remember?"

"You know what I mean. Do you know what she got me?"

"I don't know anything," Miranda said, holding up her hands and walking away.

What a time for Miranda to suddenly begin observing The Cone of Silence!

"Miranda…" he tried.

"Well, what did you get _her_?" Miranda wondered.

"I'm not going to tell you!" Gordo scowled. "It's a surprise."

"Well, I guess I'll just have to be surprised then," Miranda grinned, teasing, "when I get to Lizzie's house… at one o'clock. Not at twelve thirty, like the privledged few. See you later, Gordo!"

Miranda left, and Gordo continued cleaning tables, a strange feeling building up inside him. So then. Lizzie had not told Miranda to come early. This was not going to be a threeway gift exchange. Lizzie really did want to see him. Just him. By himself.

He looked at the clock. 10:50! He was never going to make it through till noon! And not only that, but he suddenly realized he was going to need some extra time to get ready.

Originally he had planned to stop at Lizzie's house on his walk home. Lizzie had said twelve thirty, but if he came directly from work, he would reach her house by twelve twenty. If Miranda was late as usual, he and Lizzie would have ten minutes or more to exchange their gifts alone.

Now he realized Miranda would be not be there till one at the earliest. More importantly, he realized that Lizzie had never intended for Miranda to participate at all.

_She wants to see me alone…_

_-_

So many thoughts ran through Gordo's mind, chief among them that under these circumstances, he could not stop at Lizzie's house directly after work, smelling like onion and garlic bagels and looking like someone who had been dealing with dirty dishes for the last six hours. He needed to go home first and take a shower.  
As soon as he had a moment, Gordo found Mel and asked if he could leave early today. Mel looked around the restaurant, which was still relatively busy for a Tuesday morning, and said, "Well…"

"Well, nothing!" answered Joan, who had heard her young co-workers request while setting up a fresh pot of decaf behind the counter. "Come on, Mel! Were you never a teenager? He's going to see his girlfriend! He's going to give her her Christmas gift! Don't stand in the way of true love!"

This argument alone may not have been enough to convince Mel, but the moment he looked at Gordo, blushing more deeply than he had ever thought the boy was capable, his mind was made up.

"Go," he said. "We'll cover for you."

"Thanks, Mel!" Gordo grinned, ripping off his apron.

After that, he flew home in record time, greeting the mailman at the curb with a big "Happy Holidays!" The mailman handed him a pile of cards, bills and advertisements, which he carried into the house and dropped on the dining room table. Hey! Coupons for Outback Steakhouse. He loved that place, especially that Bloomin' Onion---

Onions! He sniffed himself and ran upstairs, finding his way quickly into the bathroom, where he scrubbed away the morning, singing "Jingle Bell Rock" at the top of his lungs and very badly out of tune.

His mother came down the hallway, heard him, and smiled to herself.

Now came the "personal grooming," something to which he generally gave only the most mandatory attention, but today he was consumed with the desire to do it right. He applied deodorant, brushed his teeth with this new cinnamon flavored toothpaste, combed his unruly hair, then applied deodorant again. Digging under the sink, he found a bottle of cologne his aunt had given him on his birthday, and tried a spritz. It was actually not too bad. At least it didn't smell like onion bagels.

Then he got dressed, everything fresh, nothing wrinkled. Lizzie had told him once that she thought he looked good in green, so he chose his long sleeved green shirt with clean blue jeans. He looked in the mirror, messed around with his hair one more time, then smiled at himself. _Not too shabby._ And then, just to be sure, he took another spin with the toothbrush, deciding the cinnamon toothpaste was pretty good.

Bounding down the stairs, he called, "Mom! I'm going to Lizzie's!"

"That's nice, dear. Did you remember the little golden bow?"

Gordo stopped with his hand on the front doorknob. "Uh…yeah!" Well, he was remembering it now.

_Crap!_ he thought, chastising himself for being so absentminded. He ran up the stairs, pulled the gift wrapped box out of his work pants which were crumpled on the floor, and searched the room for the bow, finding it on top of his television. He affixed the bow, caught his breath, and forced himself to slow down as he once again began his journey to Lizzie's house.

Gordo had been going back and forth between his house and Lizzie's for longer than he could remember. This trek was so familiar…and yet, today, all brand new. It seemed logical that he should feel acutely aware of every sight, every sound, every sensation, on a day as special as this, but in fact, after looking at his watch and noting that he was going to be at least ten minutes early, he could think of nothing except that brightly colored holiday advertisement. Order two entrees and get a free Bloomin' Onion. His stomach growled. He hadn't eaten anything today except a serving of hash browns shortly after eight o'clock this morning. He was hungry.

But at the moment there were so many more important things in life than hunger. "I'm not going to chicken out this time," he said out loud as he made his way up Lizzie's front path. "Do or die, Gordon, the time has come. No backing out. Don't be an idiot! Do it, _just do it_!"

-

_Will he do it? What will he say? Is there a Christmas Kiss in their future? Stay tuned!  
_


	3. Lizzie and Gordo

_Well, Christmas is less than a week away! So I think it's time to post the final chapter of this story. It's been fun._

_ A quick update, for anyone that might be interested: I am currently working on Gordo's Girls, which chronologically fits into my "Gordo Series" (as Black Knight likes to call it!) directly after Love Finds David Gordon. Here again we will see my OC Nicole, who so many of you seemed to like last time. I won't begin to post until I have all chaps written, but then I will post regularly, so like I've said in the past, you can always begin any of my stories in confidence, knowing I won't leave you in a lurch._

_-_

_- _

He stood on the porch, rang the bell. A moment later the door opened, and there was Lizzie, looking a little surprised, her pink lip gloss smile glowing between her jingle bell earrings. "You're early!" she exclaimed.

Gordo hid his hands behind his back, grasping the square flat box, flicking at the bow with his fingertips. "Yeah," he said. "I got out of work early. So…"

Lizzie looked him over, then laughed nervously and said, "So come on in, Gordo."

Gordo stepped into the foyer, like he had a thousand times before, but now, for the first, he felt so awkward. And he didn't feel any less awkward when Lizzie's mom peeked out of the kitchen, gave him a big smile and said, "Hi there, Gordo! My, don't you two look festive!"

For a moment, Gordo had no idea what she was talking about, but then it occurred to him that while he was wore a rich green colored shirt, Lizzie looked wonderful in a bright red sweater.

"Oh…yeah," he agreed from Lizzie's side. "Hi, Mrs. McGuire."

Jo McGuire approached, grinning like mad. "I wish…I wish I had a camera," she said. "You two really do look nice together…you look exactly like…like everything this holiday season is all about…"

"Mom…" Lizzie warned.

"Oh…oh, okay!" her mother gave up. "I have another batch of cookies to put in the oven, anyway. Matt's at Lanny's house, Lizzie, so don't worry, he won't be bothering you. And neither will I," she added with a wink.

"Thanks, Mom," Lizzie said, rolling her eyes.

When Jo McGuire went back into the kitchen and they were once again alone, Lizzie looked at Gordo and giggled nervously. "Moms…"

"Yeah," Gordo agreed. "Moms."

"So," Lizzie said, "are you hungry? Do you want something to eat? Something to drink?"

"No, " Gordo lied. Then, more truthfully, "I just want to see what you got me."

Now Lizzie smiled mischievously. "What I got you…?"

"Yeah, McGuire. What did you get me?"

":I think the real question is…what did you get _me_?"

At this point Gordo could no longer resist. He brought forward the small box from behind his back, and as anticipated, Lizzie cooed, "Oh! It's that wrapping paper, I love that wrapping paper! Gordo, this is so beautiful. And look at the bow! What a cute little bow."

"Yeah…" Gordo agreed, gratefully thinking, _Thanks, Mom…_

"Come on," Lizzie said, taking Gordo's hand and dragging him through the living room, out the patio doors and on to the back porch. They sat down on the steps of the deck, and Gordo said, "Why are we out here?"

"Why not?" Lizzie said. "It's a glorious day, don't you think?"

"It is," Gordo nodded. He wondered, though, if Lizzie dragging him to this relatively isolated place in any way indicated a desire to be alone with him. Or was he reading too much into her actions?

When Gordo looked at Lizzie smiling at him, he could see a slight breeze blowing through her hair. She looked so beautiful, and he was feeling nervous enough that when she finally said, "Who should go first?" his automatic response was, "You. You go first."

"Oh…why?"

"Well…ladies before gentlemen, I guess."

Truth be told, he was starting to lose his nerve, trying to delay the moment.

"Oh, okay," Lizzie said. "Wait here."

She went inside, but only for a moment, and quickly reappeared, carrying a red envelope. She sat down next to him again, handing him the envelope.

"Here," she said, taking a deep breath. "Merry Christmas, Gordo. I mean, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Holidays and all that. Right?"

Gordo nodded, taking the envelope. On the outside, he saw his name "Gordo" in Lizzie's large round handwriting, but he almost could not read it. There was something strange about it, almost like another language, and then he realized why… The _o's_ were not _o's_ exactly, they were…hearts. He stared at the hearts, and at last his own heart began to hope.

He looked up at Lizzie and she was watching him expectantly, biting her bottom lip. "Go ahead…" she whispered.

Gordo opened the envelope, being careful not to tear the hearts, and he pulled out the card, gazing for quite a while at the glossy picture of the cat and dog curled up inside the Santa hat. It was a good picture. As a photograph it was well arranged, sharp, colorful. The expressions on the face of the puppy and the kitten were almost too perfect to be real.

Gordo laughed shortly. "Heh! Cute."

This picture worked on so many levels. But the only question in Gordo's mind at the moment was whether or not it was working on the deepest level. Did this picture mean what he thought it meant? Well, there was only one way to find out, wasn't there?

He opened the card and heard Lizzie gasp as a colorful piece of paper within threatened to slip away. But Gordo caught it in his hands, asking, "So what's this…?"

"Read it, silly."

Gordo held the card in one hand, the paper in the other, and read out loud, "This coupon good for one…dinner…DATE_…"_

Suddenly he looked up at Lizzie, and at that moment, seeing the look of expectation on her pretty face, all remaining doubts were burned away. He looked again at the large word in her own bubbly handwriting. _DATE. _He looked back at Lizzie and felt a shiver and a tingle, bordering on goosebumps. He offered a crooked smile, then went back to the coupon, repeating, "_DATE…_at Outback Steakhouse…"

Gordo suddenly remembered, "Hey! There was a coupon in the mail today. A free Bloomin' Onion. I love the Bloomin' Onion."

"I know," Lizzie said.

"Would it still be a date if I gave you the coupon?" Gordo wondered. "Because if it would, then I'll give you the coupon. But if it wouldn't…then forget it. I won't give you the coupon."

"I don't think it much matters," Lizzie said. "I think all that matters is that we go together, just you and me…"

"Just you and me…" Gordo repeated. Then he smiled at her again, and she smiled back, and in that moment there was so much unsaid, yet so much understood. At least, it was the beginning of an understanding.

Then Gordo said, "Lizzie, I…I…"

"I know, Gordo."

"This is the best present you could have possibly given me. I can't wait to go out on our…date…" He looked down at the card again, and now for the first time he read the inscription inside, and added, in a soft, almost magical voice, "…and have all my dreams come true…"

"And have a Bloomin' Onion," Lizzie added playfully.

"Yeah, that too," Gordo said, and his stomach growled again.

Lizzie giggled. "I thought you said you weren't hungry!"

"Well, maybe a little."

"Come on!" Lizzie said. "My mom is baking cookies, I'm sure you can smell them. Let's---"

Gordo grabbed her arm as she began to stand up, pulling her back down beside him. "No, no, not yet," he reminded. "First…" and then he reintroduced the pretty little package from the other side of the steps.

"Oh!" Lizzie exclaimed. "I almost forgot!"

"Here," Gordo said, handing her the present, his heart beating so wildly.

Lizzie took the box in her lap, looked at it for a while, turning it over, admiring it. "Too pretty to open," she decided at last.

"Lizzie…"

"Oh, okay, you talked me into it!"

She peeled off the little gold bow and stuck it to the knee of her blue jeans. She tore at the wrapping paper, but not too fast, just slow enough to drive Gordo crazy. Then the box was free, and when she saw the word "Gordon's" on the top, she looked at Gordo and giggled.

"I know," he said, rolling his eyes, remembering his mother's behavior the night before.

Lizzie sat still for a moment, looking at the box, taking a deep breath before she removed the cover. And when she did... she gasped.

"Oh, Gordo…"

He beamed.

Lizzie looked at her gift, a delicate charm bracelet with a single charm, a simple heart elegantly engraved with her name, "Lizzie." Then she looked up at Gordo in amazement and asked, "Is it…is it real? I mean, real gold?"

"Of course it's real," Gordo explained. "That's the whole point. Don't you remember that time, when I was over here, and you and your mom started talking about your Great Grandma's ring? And your mom said you would get it someday, but not now, and you asked why not, and she said because you weren't old enough or mature enough to have real jewelry. She didn't think you were responsible, and that made you so mad you almost cried. Do you remember?"

Lizzie was almost crying now, but not because she was mad. "Yes, I remember."

"And it bothered me," Gordo went on, "because I could see how much it meant to you, and I totally think you're responsible enough to have real jewelry. I know you have a bracelet like this in silver, and you really like it, but I wanted you to have one in gold…real gold…"

"Oh, Gordo!"

"Not just the kid jewelry you have now, not the kind you get from Claire's Boutique in the mall. This is the real stuff, Lizzie, 14 carat, and that ruby by your name, that's a real ruby---"

"Gordo!" Lizzie gasped. "This must have cost you a fortune."

"Not a fortune," he said. "But please, don't try to return it Claire's. Believe me, they'll never give you back what I paid for it."

"Return it?" Lizzie exclaimed. "I'm not going to return it! I'm going to wear it. Each and every day, and never take it off. Help me put it on, Gordo."

Lizzie took the bracelet out of its box, undid the clasp, and offered Gordo her wrist on top of his knee. He struggled with the clasp, still a little nervous about everything that was happening, and feeling exceptionally clumsy with the tiny hook and eye. As he fumbled to make the two ends come together, he soon began to laugh, and Lizzie laughed too, and eventually they put their foreheads together, laughing over this seemingly impossible task.

"No, wait, wait," Gordo said. "I'm not giving up. I'll get this yet. Give me one more chance, Lizzie. One more…"

"Gordo, you take as many chances as you need," Lizzie answered. "I'm here. I'm not going anywhere."

He looked up at her and smiled. Suddenly he realized that he was on the home stretch. There was only one more thing he wanted to say, and so far everything had gone so well, even better than he had expected. Not only did Lizzie love the gift, but she had asked him out on a _date_! They were going out on a date, she was wearing his bracelet, and she very clearly had just said, "I'm not going anywhere." His heart felt warmed as he took a deep breath, concentrated on the tiny clasp, and…there it was!

Lizzie squealed in delight, holding up her hand and admiring her new bracelet.

Gordo took a deep breath. Okay, this was it, the moment when he was not going to chicken out. He had rehearsed this speech so many times, now all he had to do was say it.

"And you know," he began, "the really nice thing about a charm bracelet is that now, every time there's an occasion, like your birthday, or…or Valentine's Day…or even if there's no occasion at all, maybe just because I want to, I can get you something to add to the bracelet, some new piece of gold, so that every time you look at it, and you see all those charms hanging there, it will make you think of me---"

"Oh, Gordo," Lizzie said, turning towards him. "I don't need to look at charms, or anything else to think of you. I think about you almost all the time as it is."

"You do?" He hadn't meant to sound so surprised. He hadn't really planned any response for this, so all he could do was sit there speechlessly and watch Lizzie nodding at him.

"I do," she said quietly. "I think about you a lot, Gordo."

Gordo swallowed down the lump that was forming in his throat. "And…and I think about you a lot too, Lizzie," he finally thought to say, speaking directly from his heart. "And I mean…a lot."

She kind of giggled, and Gordo saw her skin blush a slightly less shade of red than her Christmas sweater. "Me too," she said.

Now Gordo blushed, and they were both sitting there blushing, and feeling all tingly inside, looking at each other and smiling. If anybody had seen them there like that, they would have both felt really embarrassed. But Lizzie's mother could be heard singing in the kitchen, wisely giving them their privacy, and Matt was nowhere near the house, and Miranda would not arrive for almost a half hour. They had this magical moment in time to be alone together, both finally coming to the full realization of how silly they had been to ever doubt that this was going to happen. And now that it was happening it seemed ridiculous that they had wasted so much time.

But really, there had been no waste of time. Everything that came before had led them directly to this perfect moment, which was their perfect gift to each other. Gordo reached out and touched the tiny golden bow stuck to the knee of Lizzie's blue jeans. Lizzie turned towards him now a little more, just enough to let him know it would be all right if he wanted to kiss her. And finally, finally, Gordo felt it was the perfect time to do what he had wanted to do for so long.

As he'd imagined so many times, he leaned in closer, and as he did, he realized Lizzie was also leaning closer to him. And now at last the freckles in their eyes were mirror images, perfectly aligned. Their lips lightly touched. Gordo tasted peppermint lip gloss. Lizzie sensed cinnamon toothpaste.

They surprised themselves and both pulled back, catching their breaths with a little laugh. Gordo looked at Lizzie and moved his fingers from the bow on her knee to softly graze the beautiful bracelet at her wrist. Lizzie moved her hand up to the side of Gordo's face, gazing into his eyes. Then at the same moment they both stopped laughing, closed their eyes and tried again.

And this time they got it right.


End file.
